


In Between

by Rachello344



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Conversations About Their Relationship, Fluff, Making Out, Missing Scenes, Other, Possessiveness, Protective Instincts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 08:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16237706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachello344/pseuds/Rachello344
Summary: Set at the end of the movie, in the moments between Eddie surfacing in the water and talking with Anne on her front step and before they go to the prison, Eddie and his symbiote figure out where they stand, or at least, they start to.





	In Between

**Author's Note:**

> I allude to scenes from the movie, but I didn't feel like trying to rewrite them, so assume that the movie scenes happen about as is. These scenes are all between or after what we see in the movie, starting from the water and ending in the apartment after their stop at the grocery store. It's not perfect, but I did my best to get the details right!
> 
> And thanks as always to my partner in crime, Bakaramia. Without her, this fic would not have even half the content it does.

Eddie gasped for breath, treading water as he was buffeted on all sides by the waves from the falling debris.  _Good bye, Eddie_ , echoed in his mind.  The fire raged above him, burning up whatever might have remained of Carlton Drake, Riot, and—

Eddie shook his head, forcing himself to breathe and keep his head above the water.  He felt so empty and cold now.  His body ached all over, and it was getting difficult for him to keep himself afloat.  The waves were strong and his eyes stung as they splashed into his eyes.

How had he been alone for so long?  His mind was so quiet without the other’s presence.  Had it really only been two days?  He shook his head again.

Eddie needed to get to shore, or he would drown.  He tried to start swimming, but his body protested at once.  His limbs ached or else he couldn’t feel them, too cold and wet to retain any heat.

Some part of him wondered if there was a point to going back.  Anne would be sad, of course, but she’d be okay with her new boyfriend.  He’d take care of her.  Eddie was disappointed but not surprised to realize that he couldn’t imagine anyone else missing him.

The only other person he’d been truly close to wasn’t actually human, after all, and Eddie was alone now.  All alone.

“You die,” Eddie muttered, “I die.”

Something in him tugged toward shore, insistent.  He tried to ignore it, but it felt so similar to running the night before, to being tugged around by the symbiote, he couldn’t help but try swimming again.  Eddie’s heart ached with the sense of absence, but he could at least try.

Choose to _act_ instead of just doing nothing again.

Even with Eddie’s new resolve, his body wasn’t strong enough to swim so far in the freezing water.  His eyes began to droop as his energy flagged.  He could feel something like panic at the back of his thoughts, but he was already losing consciousness, sinking beneath the waves.

Eddie opened his eyes, coughing up water on the shore.  _How did I…?_   He’d passed out, so how was he still alive?

“I should be dead,” Eddie muttered aloud, his voice rough from the seawater he’d been swallowing.

**no**

Eddie bolted upright, ignoring the way his head spun and his stomach turned.  “Is that—Are you okay?”

**alive. _we_ are alive.**

The voice was so much weaker than its normal booming volume.  Where normally it had seemed to fill him up, now it felt like it was barely there, barely connected.

 **connected** , he protested, **but weak**

“What do you need, buddy?  How can I help?” Eddie asked, ignoring the frantic edge to his voice.  He wanted to wrap himself around the presence and keep it safe, keep _them_ safe.  He needed to go home, get himself fed and warm so that the symbiote wouldn’t have to do any extra work to keep them both alive.

 **you,** the voice managed before falling silent.  The presence wavered in his mind, fading.

“No no no,” Eddie clenched his eyes tight and wrapped his arms around himself, distantly aware that he was shaking.  “Stay with me, buddy.  I don’t—Please don’t leave me again.”

**never leave. _mine_.**

Eddie felt some of the tension leave him at the insistent tone.  If he wasn’t so weak, he’d almost sound offended.  Voices called out from afar, pulling him out of his own head.  One of them was achingly familiar.

“Anne,” he breathed, his voice shaky with relief.

**rest now.**

Eddie sagged against the ground, falling back on his elbows.  The presence was curled up inside, and it felt like it was just behind his ribs, wrapped around his heart.  Safe.  They were both _safe_.

“Here,” he yelled, voice cracking.  “Annie, I’m here!”

Anne’s footsteps changed direction, growing louder as she approached before they skidded to a halt beside him.  She immediately began checking him for injuries, waving the paramedics toward them.

“Oh, Eddie, you _scared_ me.  I was watching from the control booth—I tried to help with the noise to separate you—I hope you weren’t too hurt—but then the explosion—”  Her voice cracked like his, but Eddie had the feeling she might be crying.  She definitely hadn’t been in the bay like he had.  “I’m sorry, Eddie, I’m so sorry.”

Eddie laughed a little.  “Told you she could handle herself just fine,” he said, his eyes falling shut.  He felt almost delirious, and his symbiote didn’t respond, too exhausted to muster up a retort.  “Better than us.”

“Eddie?  What are you…?”

But Eddie sank back into unconsciousness.  They needed to rest, and Annie was safe.  She would look after them for now.

 

* * *

 

Eddie woke up in the hospital, hooked up to an IV and a number of beeping monitors.  He grimaced as he shifted his weight.  Everything hurt.  He felt vaguely feverish again, but the presence in the back of his head felt a little stronger than before.

Fuck, but he was _starving_.  How long had he been out?  Before he could try to get up, the door to his room opened.  Anne’s hot doctor boyfriend let himself in, smiling when he saw Eddie was awake.

“Good, you’re finally awake.”  The symbiote stirred at the sight of him, worrying.  Eddie tried to give some kind of reassurance, but wasn’t sure he succeeded.  “Do you remember what happened?”

Eddie nodded.  “We fought Riot and Drake, the ship exploded, and we—I…”  He hesitated, frowning down at his hands.  “I swam to shore.  Venom—he…  He didn’t make it,” Eddie lied.  “The explosion, he protected me.”

Anne’s boyfriend frowned, but nodded, like it was what he expected to hear.  “Your vitals have been improving a little at a time, and you seem to have recovered from whatever was happening when you were here before.  Your organs seem to be in decent shape.  I would like to check on that, but I’m not willing to risk another MRI until you’re well again.”

Eddie’s eyes found his lanyard.  _Dan_ , he remembered.  His name was _Dan_.  “Thank you, Dan,” he said, grimacing.  “I don’t think I want another MRI for awhile, if that’s okay.  I mostly just want to go home and sleep.  Am I stable enough to leave?”

Dan’s brow furrowed, disapproving.  “I’d like you to stay at least another day for observation.  You have another fever, and you were starting to develop hypothermia from being in the water so long.  If there’s anything you need from home, I can have Anne bring it to you.”

Eddie shook his head.  “I don’t need anything, just wanted my own bed.”  His stomach growled.  “And food.  My stomach is fine, right?”

Dan laughed, relaxing.  “Yeah, you’re good to eat.  You’ve been taking fluids, but I’ll see about getting you some proper food.  Something gentle to start, though.”

 **meat and chocolate,** he demanded, but his voice was still weak where it resonated inside him.

“Does chocolate count as light?” he asked with what he hoped was a charming smile.

“Not exactly, but when Anne visits, I’ll be much too busy to come by.”  Dan gave a very charming wink.  “If nothing is hurting you, you look to be in reasonable health for now, so I’ll have a nurse take out your IV when they bring you your food.  You can let the nurse know if you need anything, after all, okay?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.  “Thanks, man.  You’re a really good guy.”

“Just doing my job,” he said, but he sounded pleased.  Eddie waved as he left.

Alone again, he rubbed a hand over his sternum.  “Soon,” he said softly.  “We’ll go home soon.  I’ll keep us safe, so keep resting for now.  Get your strength back.”

**hungry**

“I know.  I can’t get you what you really want yet.  Can you bear with it for a day or two?”

**yes, but only two days. _hungry_**

“Yeah, yeah,” he said feeling a wave of fondness wash through him.  “Go back to sleep.  I’ll eat as much as I can in the meantime.”

 

* * *

 

True to Dan’s word, Anne brought him chocolate when she came to visit.  She was busy handling a lot of the fall out, but she stayed with him for an hour and even held his hand for a little while.  Eddie felt warmer for it, grateful that she was willing to stay with him, even after everything he’d put her through.

“Thank you,” he said during a lull in the conversation.  “We would have been consumed if you hadn’t helped us.  And I would have frozen to death, probably.”

Anne frowned, squeezing his hand.  “I couldn’t do enough.  I’m so sorry, Eddie.  Dan told me about Venom.”

“It’s not your fault,” Eddie insisted.  “He—He protected me.  It was his choice.”  He smiled, letting it waver.  “He liked you.  He wouldn’t have blamed you for anything.”

“Not as much as he liked you.  I know it must be strange, but you seemed to like him a little to, by the end.”  She hesitated.  “For a second, I thought he must have still been with you.  It sounded like you were talking to him.”

“I probably was,” he admitted.  “It’s… weird to be alone in my own head.  We were together for so long, I guess I’d started to get used to it.”  He shook his head.  “It’s okay, though.  I’ll be fine.  It’ll just take some getting used to, I guess.”

Anne didn’t look like she believed him, but she noticed the time on her watch and winced.  “I have to go.  Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, Annie.  Thanks for the chocolate.”  A rumble of agreement sounded from the back of his mind, but evidently he was the only one who heard it.  Anne gathered her things and stood, smiling down at him.

“You take care of yourself, Eddie.”

He gave a jaunty salute, making a face until she laughed.  As soon as she was gone, he felt his symbiote purr within his chest again.

**more chocolate, eddie**

Eddie took another bite of the Hershey bar, rolling his eyes.  “As you wish.”  After he swallowed, he tapped the little table over his lap.  “Why chocolate?”

**good chemical.  tasty for both of us.**

“Well, I can’t argue with that.  I’ll make sure to stock up on it when we get home.”  His symbiote purred in his chest, settling back down to sleep.  Eddie let his eyes shut as his head tipped back against the pillows he was propped up on, following him into sleep, one hand resting over his heart.

 

* * *

 

Over the next day, before he was discharged, the police came by to take his statement.  Mostly, Eddie lied, told them he didn’t know.  He kept the facts minimal, unwilling to talk about the experiments and the ‘creatures’ that were caught on tape, the creature that rampaged through the city, chased by drones and men with guns.

“They burned.  They’re gone now.  Drake said that those two were the last of them.”  And then he fell silent and refused to answer any further questions.  Eventually they left, frustrated but unable to force him to answer questions.

After lunch, his previous editor came by to return his phone and thank him for the pictures.  The report was going out in the evening broadcast and the morning newsstand.

“You don’t have to answer now, but I wanted to let you know,” his editor said as he stood to leave, “the network is going to offer you your job back.”

Eddie watched him go, too surprised to respond.  Did he _want_ his job back?  He missed writing, but the last thing he needed was for the network to send him off on some other humiliating errand, kissing ass and sucking up to the exact types of people he hated most.

He’d consider it, at least.  He did need the money.

 

* * *

 

 _It was your buddy’s idea_ rang in his head as he walked back down the street, bantering with his symbiote about their odds with Anne.  It was nice to feel him so energetic again, even if it felt a little like he was barking up the wrong tree.  Whatever had been between him and Anne before, it was already fading into something different, something quieter.

“Why did you kiss me?” Eddie asked, voice low.  No one was nearby, but he didn’t want to look like a total lunatic.

**Because I wanted to kiss you.**

“Sure, but _why_?”

Eddie got a sense of exasperation, and something like a huff.  **Because you are mine.  I wanted to make it clear in a way you humans would understand.** There was a long pause as Eddie took that in.  He was about to reply when he spoke again.  **You thought that I was _killing_ you.  You left me.**

They both hurt at the reminder.  Eddie winced.  “I’m sorry.  I was scared.  It won’t happen again.”

**I know.  You can’t lie to me, remember?**

Eddie laughed.  “I do now.”  He tipped his head back, watching the clouds drift by.  “I can’t lie about _anything_?”

**No.  And I can’t lie to you.  You’re mine, and I’m yours.**

He smiled, warmth spreading from within his chest.  They walked in companionable silence for a few more blocks before they hit a more populated street.

**Hungry, Eddie.**

“Yeah, okay, about that.  I think we need some ground rules…”

 

* * *

 

When he looked down at the bastard who’d been terrorizing Mrs. Chen, he knew at once that he wasn’t going to let him live.  Not after all he’d put her through, and not when his other needed the food more than he normally did.

It wasn’t even a question.  “On second thought,” he said, and Venom’s grin split their face wide.  When they bit down, Eddie was shocked as _taste_ spread over his tongue.  He hadn’t noticed before, too caught up in the other sensations to pay it much mind.  Their connection was stronger now, too, which could factor in somehow.  He decided not to dwell on it for now.

Eddie said a quick goodbye to Mrs. Chen before she could ask questions or call the police, arguing with his symbiote about his affectionate use of ‘parasite.’

**I am _not_ a parasite.**

“I said I’m sorry,” Eddie insisted.  “I don’t think you’re a parasite.  We both benefit, not just you.  I promise I know that now.”  He smiled, still feeling inexplicably affectionate.  “I was just trying to tease you, buddy.  Forgive me?”

**More chocolate.  And then maybe.**

Eddie laughed, drawing attention from the people they passed.  “You learned that from Annie, didn’t you?” he accused.

**In your memories and hers.  It seemed effective.**

“Only because I’m a pushover, and I like the both of you.”  He stopped in the drugstore on the corner, ignoring the smugness in the back of his mind as he bought a large bag of Hershey kisses.  His symbiote trilled happily in the back of his mind.  Eddie smiled the rest of their way home.

 

* * *

 

His other peeled away from his skin to eat through the bag of kisses while Eddie cleaned.  The place was still a mess, but now that they were both feeling better, it was time to set things back to rights.  His landlord had already seen to fixing the door and the windows, a note explaining as much still on his counter.

Thank god, the destruction wasn’t thought to be his fault.  Even working again, he’d never be able to afford all that on top of his usual living expenses.  The Life Foundation, under new management, was apparently covering the damages.  If they wanted to take responsibility for all of it, Eddie wasn’t going to argue with them.  He might still sue them, but he hadn’t decided yet.

Eddie set the trashcan back upright, tying off the bag inside it and setting it by the door.  As soon as he opened up another bag, black tendrils began to drop trash and debris inside it.

Eddie glanced over his shoulder; the broken table and stool were piled up and the papers on the floor had been stacked on the couch.  He smiled.

“Feeling helpful?”

**I have more ‘hands’ than you.  And it’s nice to be able to use them again.**

Eddie could relate.  Humming to himself, they worked their way methodically through the apartment, cleaning what they could and clearing away what they couldn’t.  Unfortunately he was going to need a new coffee table and probably a new couch to boot.

“Think I could make the foundation buy me new furniture?” he asked as they walked down to the dumpsters behind the building with as much trash as Eddie could carry without looking out of place.

**Yes.  It’s their fault the furniture is broken.  Although, you shouldn’t have answered the door.  I told you not to.**

Eddie sighed, swinging the trash bags in with a satisfying thud.  “I didn’t know you or trust you yet.  You can’t really blame me for not immediately obeying the strange voice in my head.”

 **I can, actually.** He hesitated for an uncharacteristic beat.  **You would trust me now, wouldn’t you?**

Eddie stopped on the stairs back up.  “What?  Of course I would.  Where’s this coming from?”  He kept walking, intent on making at least another few trips before he got back to cleaning.

**You’ve been worrying about something, but you haven’t given it any thought, so I don’t know what it is.  You really trust me?**

Eddie sighed, shifting the bags to a more comfortable grip.  His symbiote covered his hands this time, keeping the ties from digging into his palms.  “I really trust you.  I…  Sometimes I worry about things that I don’t know I’m worrying about.”

**That does not make sense, Eddie.**

“Don’t I know it,” he muttered.  “Can you tell me when you were feeling the worry?  Maybe we could narrow it down.  Reassure both of us.”

**Most often at the hospital.  But also when we were speaking with Anne.**

“That’s not completely out of the ordinary, then.  I don’t think many humans feel anything _but_ worried at the hospital.”  Eddie frowned.  “Wait, but why did you think I didn’t trust you?”  He threw his next load in the dumpster and turned back around.

**You were worrying about something related to me, but not me.**

Eddie frowned, thinking back as he walked to their apartment.  He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, still thinking.  At the hospital, he’d mostly been worried about his symbiote’s health and keeping him safe from anything that might hurt it.

 _Oh_.

**You figured it out?**

“Yeah, I think so.”  Eddie hesitated.  This was a little soon for a break, but he didn’t really want to have this conversation in a public area.  He sat down against the door.  “Is there…  Is there something about the bond between us that would… change my behavior?”

He could feel his symbiote rifling through his surface thoughts, trying to parse their meaning.  **You want to know if I somehow compelled you to worry about me?**

“I was a lot more protective of you than I’ve ever been about anyone.”  Eddie tipped his head back, eyes falling shut.  “It was a little scary, actually.  I mean, I lied about you to _Anne_.  And… when I thought you’d died…”

 **That is all your own, Eddie.  I cannot _make_ you want to protect me.**   Eddie could feel something warm flutter against his heart.  **I’m glad, though.  I want to protect you, too.  I have from the moment I bonded with you, but especially after you accepted me.**

Eddie tilted his head, thinking back.  A lot had happened in the last week.  “When was that exactly?”

**On the bike, with the blue fires.  You stopped fighting me.**

“Is that all it takes for the bond?”

 **Not exactly.  We truly bonded in the woods.  You _accepted_ me, _chose_ me.**   He sounded proud and delighted in equal measure, like it was a great feat they’d accomplished.  At the thought, there was a slight twinge from his other.

“What?”

**A bond like ours is special.  It is something to be treasured.  My kind much prefer to control their host body, not cooperate.**

“Like Riot?”

**Yes.  It is… why I am a loser.  I was looking for you, Eddie.**

Eddie’s face grew hot, his skin prickling.  “Oh,” he said intelligently.  He coughed, feeling awkward.  “So, you’ve never cooperated with another host body?”

His other hesitated.  **I have had connections before, but none like this one.**

“Did you bond with Anne?”  He wasn’t sure where the question came from, but once it was out, he couldn’t take it back.  Eddie could feel him probing at his thoughts, digging a little deeper.

**You are jealous.**

Eddie sputtered.  “I am _not_.”

**You are.  You’re worried I would prefer Anne’s mind to yours.  Idiot.**

“Hey!  I’m not—”  He bit his tongue.  Why couldn’t he just drop this?  “I mean—look, it’s not like I’m anything special.  I’m a dime a dozen.  If you found someone who was a better match, why wouldn’t you choose them?”

 ** _You are mine, Eddie._   I thought I made that clear.**  Eddie startled as Venom’s head rose out of his chest to meet his eyes.  **“ _You_ are my best match, Eddie.  No other.  I would have you until the end of our life.”**

Eddie’s breath caught in his chest, and he stared, wide-eyed.  “ _Oh_.”  His heart fluttered strangely in his chest.  “Okay,” his voice cracked.  He swallowed past the lump in his throat.  “Yeah, okay.  I’m an idiot.  Sorry.”

 **“My idiot.”**   He rubbed their cheeks together affectionately.

Eddie was abruptly reminded that they—in the forest, when he’d thought it was Anne…  He leaned into the touch, feeling a little dazed.  The relief, feeling Venom pouring back into him, back where he _belonged_ , it had distracted him from the details of the kiss itself.

**“If you’ve forgotten, we can always do it again.”**

Eddie jolted, face hot.  “That’s—We don’t need to do that.”

 **“You want to.  We should.”**   Venom’s face pulled back to face him, gaze intent.  Eddie swallowed with difficulty.  This was a terrible idea.  He hadn’t been thinking in the woods, but Venom had so many _teeth_.  **“You like them.”**

“No—I,” Eddie tried lamely.

 **“Liar.  You think it’s hot.”**   Venom’s tongue licked up his cheek and a shiver shot down Eddie’s spine.  **“You think _I’m_ hot.  Riot was ugly, but you like _me_.  You like how we look.”**

Eddie flushed, trying to look away.  Venom followed him.

**“You liked how we looked even when you thought we were killing you.”**

“Okay, okay, _fine_.  _Fuck_.  I thought you were probably with Annie, but it was mostly—I was so relieved to see _you_ , and…”  He scrubbed at his face with both hands.  He was insane.  He was officially insane.  “Yeah, I guess—between you and Riot, you’re more attractive.”

Venom looked smug.  **“Then we should kiss again.  That way you’ll remember it better.”**

“We were _cleaning_ ,” Eddie protested, but he was clearly being ignored.

A firm grip on his neck held him in place as the distance between them closed.  When he considered protesting, the grip tightened in warning.  Eddie’s eyes closed without his permission, his lips parted.  He relaxed, something grounding in the touch.  He couldn’t remember what he was going to argue about.  He didn’t think it mattered much.

And then they were _kissing_ , Venom’s tongue pressing into his mouth, his teeth rubbing strangely against his lips.

Eddie moaned, head falling back to hit the door.  _Insatiable_.  It was the only word for it.  His fingers curled against the floor beneath him as Venom kissed him senseless.  Some part of him expected it to hurt, but he felt nothing but _good_.

**Would never hurt Eddie.**

Eddie moaned, sucking at the tongue in his mouth, trying to angle even closer.

**What about cleaning, Eddie?**

“Your fault,” he gasped out, pressing a closed mouth kiss to the long teeth in front of him.  “Intent on distracting me.”

 **You’re easy to distract.**   Venom pulled away, licking playfully at his mouth, the grip on the back of his neck sinking back beneath his skin.  **“But you’ll get bitchy if we don’t get this done.”**

Eddie groaned.  “Fucking tease.”

The implications of what he said caught up to him a beat too late.  He bolted upright and shot to his feet, face hot.  Venom wrapped around him and sunk back beneath his skin.

**Eddie?  You’re anxious.**

“Can we not talk about it yet?”  He winced.  “I don’t think I’m ready for that conversation.”

**Okay.  We have to clean anyway.  After?**

“If you give me more time, I’ll take us out to find you someone to eat.”

 **What are we waiting for?** Eddie’s feet moved at his other’s command.  **We have work to do.**

Eddie laughed, ignoring the way his heart raced when his body moved at a command other than his own.  He had a lot he needed to work through before they had the conversation his other so obviously wanted to have.

**No secrets, Eddie.**

“No secrets,” he agreed.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys liked it! I have one more fluff idea, an angsty hurt/comfort idea, and a NUMBER of smut ideas. So if you're into SymBrock, you're in luck. I hope you'll stick around! And if there was anything in particular you liked, I'd love to hear from you! ;D


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